ASCAP celebrates Carter Burwell

'Fargo' composer gets career achievement award

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers feted composer Carter Burwell with its career achievement award at the 24th Film and Television Music Awards gala, held at the Beverly Hilton on Monday night.

Burwell’s credits include “Being John Malkovich,” “Fargo” and “Velvet Goldmine.”

The gala also awarded the top box office film music and most performed television music of 2008.

The list of composers honored in the top box office category included Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard for “The Dark Knight,” John Debney for “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor,” Ramin Djawadi for “Iron Man” and John Powell, who composed the scores for a handful of pics in ’08, including “Bolt” and “Hancock.”

In the television department, a wide range of songwriters and composers were honored, including producer J.J. Abrams who, along with longtime composer Michael Giacchino, were feted for the theme and underscore of ABC’s “Lost.”